Malware masquerading as part of Apple’s iWork ‘09 suite has targeted unsuspecting Mac users foolish enough to illegally download and install the pirated version of the software commonly found on warez sites around the Web.

Once iWork ‘09 is downloaded and installed, the trojan horse named OSX.Trojan.iServices.A, obtains unrestrained root access, which it immediately uses to connect to a remote server over the Internet. A secondary download installs malware that makes victims part of a botnet army that is said to be attacking undisclosed websites. According to Mac antivirus software maker Intego, this is the latest reminder of the growing popularity of Apple’s OS X and virus & malware developers. Over the past year, a mix of trojans and exploits have been targeting OS X at increasing rates.

It is believed that more than 20,000 50,000 people have already downloaded the rogue installer. The pirated software does however contain a fully functional version of iWork.